I shall always love her, her sweet voice and the beautiful diffidence of her manner to grandmamma, as though she were receiving a great honor by grandmamma's reception of her. So different to Mrs. Gurrage's patronizing vulgarity! I could see grandmamma was delighted with her. Sir Antony talked to me. He asked me if I was tired, or something _banal_ like that; his voice was _distraite_. I answered him gayly, and then we changed seats, and he had a conversation with grandmamma. I do not know what they spoke about, as Lady Tilchester and I went to the other end of the room, but his manner looked so gallant, and I knew by grandmamma's face that she was saying the witty, sententious things that she does to the Marquis. A faint pink flush came into her cheeks which made her look such a very beautiful old lady. Lady Tilchester talked to me about the garden and the ball the night before, and at last asked me when I was going to be married. It seemed to bring me back with a rush to earth from some enchanted world which contained no Augustus. "I--don't know," I faltered, and then, ashamed of my silly voice, said, firmly, "Grandmamma has not arranged the date yet--" "I hope you will be very happy," said Lady Tilchester, and she would not look at me, which was kind of her. "Thank you," I said. "Grandmamma is no longer young, and she will feel relieved to know I have a home of my own." "It is delightful to think we shall have you for a neighbor. Harley is only fifteen miles from here. I wonder if Mrs. Athelstan would let you come and stay a few days with me?" "Oh! I should _love_ to," I said. However, grandmamma, when the subject was broached to her presently, firmly declined. "A month ago I should have accepted with much pleasure," she said, "but circumstances and my health do not now permit me to part even for a short time with Ambrosine." She looked at Lady Tilchester and Lady Tilchester looked back at her, and although nothing more was said about the matter, I am sure they understood each other. Sir Antony came and sat by me in the window-sill. I was wearing my chatelaine and he noticed it. "I am a blind idiot!" he exclaimed. "Of course you are the kind lady who lent me the knife, which I broke, and then stole in a brutal way." "I saw you did not recognize me the other night." "I could only see out of one eye, you know, that day in the lane--that must be my excuse." I said nothing. "I am not going to give back the knife." "Then it is real stealing--and it spoils my chatelaine," I said, holding up the empty chain. "I will give you another in its place, but I must keep this one." "That is silly--why?" "It is very agreeable to do silly things sometimes--for instance, I should like--" What he would have liked I never knew, for at that moment we both caught sight of Augustus getting out of his station brougham at our gate.